In the quest for an ironclad information-security program, organizations typically take a textbook approach: First, a business-impact analysis and asset-assessment study identify critical data needing protection and the servers where that data resides. Then, security policies are developed from these studies, your business plan and organizational goals.. . .. In the quest for an ironclad information-security program, organizations typically take a textbook approach: First, a business-impact analysis and asset-assessment study identify critical data needing protection and the servers where that data resides. Then, security policies are developed from these studies, your business plan and organizational goals. These policies drive the development of guideline documents defining the requirements necessary to achieve the goals of the policy--for example, if a specific server is designated as critical, your access policy for that server will be stringent. Essentially, you're taking your policy statements and codifying them into a series of checks. But even the most well-conceived policies will fail if the effectiveness of the program cannot be measured. How do you gauge the effectiveness of a firewall strategy or a VPN, IDS or antivirus deployment? More practically, how do you ensure that networked devices like desktops, servers, switches, routers and firewalls are configured properly? Absent tools that can provide a holistic view of the network, administrators are left to fumble along. Without measurements, you're blind. The link for this article located at Network Computing is no longer available. . A successful cybersecurity initiative demands thorough evaluations and quantifiable guidelines to ensure the effectiveness of security measures.. Information Security, Security Policies, Data Protection, Network Monitoring. . Anthony Pell
Efforts to bolster Internet security will not lead to increased government scrutiny of individuals' online habits, the White House and industry sources said Friday. As it finalizes sweeping guidelines that aim to increase cybersecurity, the Bush administration said individual privacy . . . . Efforts to bolster Internet security will not lead to increased government scrutiny of individuals' online habits, the White House and industry sources said Friday. As it finalizes sweeping guidelines that aim to increase cybersecurity, the Bush administration said individual privacy would not be affected by efforts to prevent cyberattacks. "The administration is not considering a proposal to monitor what individuals do on the Internet," a spokesman for the transition to the newly created Department of Homeland Security said. But high-tech sources who had been briefed on the updated plans said they were not aware of any such change, and White House cybersecurity czar Richard Clarke assured high-tech firms the government only wanted them to set up an "early warning system" to keep an eye on the health of the Internet . The link for this article located at news.com is no longer available. . Efforts to bolster Internet security will not lead to increased government scrutiny of individuals' . efforts, bolster, internet, security, increased, government, scrutiny, individuals'. . Anthony Pell
Information from databases, such as names of terrorism suspects, fingerprints, photographs and biographical data, should be regularly available to a wider range of law enforcement agencies, Ashcroft said. However, the directive, issued April 11, deals primarily with developing policies, guidelines and . . . . Information from databases, such as names of terrorism suspects, fingerprints, photographs and biographical data, should be regularly available to a wider range of law enforcement agencies, Ashcroft said. However, the directive, issued April 11, deals primarily with developing policies, guidelines and standards for sharing information. It does not make money available to buy new data systems or order specific agencies to begin sharing information with other agencies. The order does not specify deadlines, milestones or reporting requirements. "It's a necessary step toward better sharing," said Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy. "One of the lessons of Sept. 11 was there was inadequate information sharing among federal and state and local law enforcement agencies." The link for this article located at FCW is no longer available. . Information obtained from various databases, such as biometric identifiers and profiles of suspected terrorists, will improve collaboration between different law enforcement bodies.. Terrorism Data Sharing, Law Enforcement Guidelines, Information Sharing Policies. . Anthony Pell
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